Davis aims to lead unstoppable’ Illinois football squad

Sunday

Like his teammates on the defensive line, Illinois senior defensive end Will Davis was good last year and plans on being great this fall.

Like his teammates on the defensive line, Illinois senior defensive end Will Davis was good last year and plans on being great this fall.

Known primarily as a pass rusher, Davis added close to 20 pounds of muscle, and the 6-foot-3, 268-pounder is determined to be a big force on a defensive line that has big plans for this fall.

"If I can stay the same speed with this size, I'll be unstoppable,'' Davis said. "That's definitely my goal. That's the goal for the whole defensive line -- to be dominant.''

On a line that's getting deeper with athletic big men recruited during coach Ron Zook's tenure, Davis is an example for how the line has developed. Davis arrived as a receiver, then moved to tight end before switching to defensive end as a sophomore. By last season, he earned second-team all-Big Ten from the media and finished sixth in the conference and 26th nationally with 9.5 sacks.

Now with more bulk, he could be an emerging force in the Big Ten, as long as the extra weight doesn't slow him down.

"I want to go out and see how I move with it,'' said Davis, a former star at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md. "My whole game was speed. I wanted to add power to it. We're trying it out. I'm moving like I'm still 250 pounds.''

Davis likely has an eye on this fall, where he wants to be just as tough against the run as the pass. He made a move in that direction last fall, starting the last nine games. With the extra size, he likely has another eye on playing Sundays.

"That's the goal, to be an overall defensive end with the run and the pass,'' he said. "I was doing well against the run. That's why they moved me up to the first team last year. I just want to dominate. We want to make everyone's job behind us easier. If we play our game, everybody's job will be easier.''

Defensive line coach Tom Sims evaluated Davis during the first three practices of spring drills, including Saturday's first day in pads, to make sure Davis didn't lose any speed. Davis was physical in the one-on-one line drill and hasn't lost a step.

"It's not only about getting bigger,'' Sims said. "It's about getting better. If bigger isn't better, then he will slim down. But in the first couple of days, he's not lost anything. Any time there's change, you want to make sure it's for the better.''

Illinois ranked fifth in the Big Ten in rushing defense at 132.2 yards allowed per game. The Illini were fifth in the Big Ten and 15th nationally with 39 sacks. With starters back at three of the four spots, the Illini defensive line is talking about dominating the game.

"That's a big statement,'' said Sims. "To be honest, that's our mission statement since we've been here. We wanted to be a dominant defensive line. We've taken steps toward that over the years. We're closer to that than we were in 2005. I don't know if you've ever reached that point, but that's our goal.''

Illinois lost defensive tackle Chris Norwell to graduation. Along with Davis, Derek Walker and Doug Pilcher returned with starting experience at defensive end. Senior David Lindquist has 15 starts at defensive tackle. Sophomore Josh Brent is a likely starter at defensive tackle.

"We want to be the most dominating line in the Big Ten and the nation,'' Brent said.

Sims has more pieces than 2005, when the Illini ranked last in the Big Ten in rushing defense (234 yards per game). But the seniors on that first defensive line helped Sims instill a work ethic, so he bought Ryan Matha, Scott Moss and Arthur Boyd Rose Bowl rings.

"Maybe we didn't have success in terms of wins and loss, but they set a work ethic,'' Sims said. "I don't scream a whole lot about effort. Because of how hard they worked, it's been passed on.''

Davis plans to use the hard work in the weight room on a defensive line that has big plans this fall.

NOTE: Co-defensive coordinator Curt Mallory hobbled through practice after tearing a calf muscle Friday. Mallory suffered a groin injury during preseason camp last summer. … Signed recruits who attended practice Saturday included running back Jason Ford of Belleville Althoff, receiver Jack Ramsey of Chicago Simeon and placekicker Derek Dimke of Rockford Boylan. They will arrive on campus for the summer semester.

John Supinie can be reached at Johnsupinie@aol.com. For more coverage, read Illini Talk blog at www.sj-r.com and www.pjstar.com.

Early look

Some observations after the first three days of spring practice:

1. There are more possibilities at receiver than Zook led everyone to believe earlier this week, even though Arrelious Benn (shoulder) and Brian Gamble (academics) aren't in the middle of the action. Former cornerback Chris Duvalt and walk-on Alex Reavy from Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin were effective Saturday. The speedy Duvalt made a one-handed grab on a long pass, and Reavy was steady -- not dropping a ball -- while working at inside receiver, often with the first team.

2. Sophomore Anthony Santella is the punter. After a strong showing at the Rose Bowl, Santella is far ahead of Jared Bosch and Kyle Yelton. Bosch will serve as the holder on placekicking. For a consolation prize, Yelton still has his scholarship.

3. Recruiting never stops. On Saturday, dual-threat quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase of Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst is a four-star recruit rated as the No. 9 nationally at his position by Scout.com. Oklahoma, Missouri and Nebraska are also recruiting him. Other top recruits who attended practice were Homewood-Floosmoor defensive end Michael Buchanan, East St. Louis wide receiver Terry Hawthorne and offensive lineman David Barrett of West Des Moines (Iowa).

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